Cat... What kind to get?

[rattlsnak]

Wife wants to get a cat. I grew up with them and love them and would have no problem going to the local pound and picking one up. The issue is, she needs a hypo allergenic breed. Well, that's fine, but we also want a very loving/friendly/don't scratch me if i touch you/ kind of cat also. We also travel every so often so it will be left alone for 2-3 days at a time a few times a year.

What breeds do you guys recommend? We do want a 'normal' looking cat if that makes sense. So PLEASE do not suggest or post pictures of the evil looking hairless cat breed!

She is thinking about a Russian Blue.. And aren't Siamese cats hypo also? But I've heard they are, well, quirky..

And male or female?

Thoughts?

[Craig T]

Don't do it! Talk her into a dog before it's too late and your life it's ruined by an evil feline.

There are hypo-allergen small breeds:

Poodle
Maltese
Miniature Schnauzer
Brussels Griffan

[dad911]

wheaten terrier

[rattlsnak]

Dogs drool, cats rule!! I'm not a dog fan myself. Too much upkeep... Our lifestyle isn't conducive to owning a dog anyway..

[hcoles]

Be aware that very often cats you get at a pound/etc. have a particular serious disease. My son got two very nice young cats recently. They had to put one down and the other one is starting to not do very well. So far they have spent $4k and probably both will not make it. This is after they both got an early diagnosis and treatment. I can get the name of the disease if you want. IMHO cats have a good ratio of love/entertainment out per work put in.

If you want your cat to be healthy keep it inside. If you like sick and injured cat drama and vet bills then let it go out.

[wdfifteen]

I've had a Burmese and a Siamese. The Siamese was not warm and friendly - aloof even for a cat. The Burmese was very friendly. The Siamese could jump onto a mantle packed with delicate crystal and not break a thing. Let the Burmese into the room and every piece would be shattered in 5 minutes.

[Cooper911SC]

Get a domestic short hair orange tabby. Trust me. 😉

Plan to bath the cat or have it groomed every couple of weeks if your wife is really allergic.



The baby is a month and a half, kitten is 4 months.

Our family had tabby’s growing up, wife and I have had 3 now. All have been friendly lap lover cats.

Good luck with your search. 😸

[Evans, Marv]

Years ago my girlfriend got a nice cat from the Cat Protection Society. It supposedly had its shots for whatever cats get shots for. When the cat was a couple of years old, it got a mouth infection. Took it to the vet, got antibiotics & the infection went away. A month later it got a round swelling sort of boil on its chin. This time the vet tested it for feline leukemia which came back positive. Had to have it put to sleep. After that I never trusted any of those places again. I didn't know there were hypo allergenic breeds of cats. One of the best cats I ever had was one I got from a junk yard.

[Tervuren]

Washed cat vs unwashed cat, might make a difference.

I know it did when my brother had a dog.

[Crowbob]

Did that cat leave that kid on the porch for you?




(It's a JOKE!)

[stomachmonkey]

Not unlike dogs, purebred cats can come with breed specific issues.

Go to a shelter and get one that needs a home.

Your Siamese, Tonks, Balinese, basically the Asian breeds, can be "chatty".

Sort of like living with a crying infant 24/7.

Can make for a long 10-15 years.

[wdfifteen]

I grew up on a farm where the cats were just working livestock, keeping the rodent population down. I was well into my 20s before a girlfriend convinced me it was OK to let a cat in the house.
We filtered milk through cotton discs about 6" in diameter and 1/8" thick. We tossed them in the trash after every milking and the damn cats would drag the milk soaked discs out and eat them. It wasn't unusual to see a cat walking around with part of one of these things sticking out of his butt. Sometimes they wouldn't pass and the cat died. Whenever a cat died a new one would appear in a few days. They seemed to sense the vacancy.

[vash]

Grey tabby. Aka American standard. They are all the nicest damn cats. Almost too friendly. Great mousers as well. But be careful what you wish for; mine is always in my face. Too friendly can get bothersome.

I hope mine is the last cat. They are not all easy. There is rarely an awesome spot in a home for the litter box.

[drkshdw]

Lynx point siamese (a fancy name for a tabby/siamese cross). I've got two and they are more like dogs than cats. They are both leash trained, sleep at the end of the bed all through the night, know exactly when feeding time is and won't let you forget it, are fine with being home alone but will greet you at the door when you come home and are affectionate without being in your face all the time.

Definitely get a male over a female. Girl cats are temperamental and can be *****y. Males are much more easy going and more likely to just go with the flow without an attitude attached.

Whatever you do, if you get a boy cat, clip it before it starts marking. If you do, he wont. Females on the other hand can even if they are fixed. Especially if they are in a boy cat/girl cat household. It's a dominance thing and once it starts, you can't stop it.

[hcoles]

I also suggest a short hair cat. We have a long hair cat and cat hair seems to be everywhere 24/7 even soon after vacuuming the house. My son brought the cat home after someone threw it out of a car to get rid of it over at the school. Best cat ever - not sick one day in 17 years - knock on wood.

[WPOZZZ]

My baby was a red Somali. She was the sweetest cat with the sweetest voice. She would sleep with me in my bed, and wouldn't leave me when I was really sick. She was really smart, too. However, she could be vindictive/protective. When my sister would come over, Pepsi would play with her. When my sister yelled at me, Pepsi sat on her lap then let loose with her pee. She did that to my sister a few times. lol She was rather vain, and would hide after I gave her her weekly bath. She would only come out after her fur was completely dry and she was pretty again!





If you want a short hair version, get an Abyssinian. They look like baby mountain lions.

[PorscheGAL]

Ragdoll- Wonderful personalities. Here are ours, Plato and Caesar.

[DanielDudley]

I can't have indoor cats. Way too sensitive to the cats and the litter box. SOme cats are much worse than others, and cats also have a scent gland that people can't even smell that causes a lot of problems for some people. The gland is for marking purposes.

Some people's cats are so bad that I can't be in their house for 10 minutes, other people have cats that almost don't bother me at all. It has very little to do with housekeeping. Even if you don't directly react to a cat, they can stress the systems of people who have allergies/sensitivities.

When the cats moved out, my asthma went away. I never sneezed or noticed a problem with them. I also stopped getting pneumonia and or bronchitis at least once a year.
I love cats, really love them. Be aware that not everyone can tolerate them in the home, even a clean home.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by PorscheGAL

Ragdoll- Wonderful personalities. Here are ours, Plato and Caesar.

Top cat even reads Dr. Seuss

[astrochex]

Russian Blues are gorgeous cats!

We have a pair of American Shorthairs that were rescues. My wife has pet allergies but they do not incite the symptoms.

Have fun with your search.